4 Indicators that You are a Natural Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is enjoying a massive resurgence in the global economic landscape and individuals and small teams are taking up the task of solving some of life’s biggest problems. You’ll be amazed by the sheer rate at which startups are springing up in garages and incubators all over the world. However, being an entrepreneur is not an idyllic paradise, it is a laborious route bedeviled with disappointments, frustrations backed by an unwavering commitment to succeed.

Interestingly, some people have a natural flair for entrepreneurship that helps them stick it out until they succeed. This piece examines four indicators that could let you know if you are a natural entrepreneur.

1. You prefer to learn by doing

You can learn by passive absorption of knowledge – that’s what we mostly do in schools, by watching tutorial videos, or reading a book among others. You can also learn by active participation – learning by a mix of instruction with hands-on experiential knowledge as you get your hands dirty. People who have a natural flair for entrepreneurship tend to be people who prefer to learn by active participation.

The fact that natural entrepreneurs prefer to learn by doing perhaps explains why some successful entrepreneurs had histories of dropping out of school. I’m not advocating dropping out of school, but if you prefer to learn by putting your shoulder to the wheel to sweat it out, please do consider exploring your natural entrepreneurial side.

2. You don’t give up until all options are exhausted

Successful entrepreneurs have a ‘never say never’ attitude and they just can’t seem to take ‘no’ for an answer. Of course, entrepreneurs know when to take their ‘nos’ as feedback, hone their skills, fine-tune their pitch, and return to the ring. If a ‘no’ is often the end of your dream, you should think twice before you set out as an entrepreneur.

Not taking no for an answer tends to become a rote response for people who have left everything on the line to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. For instance, you might need to send out a handful of applications in your search for a business loan to fund your idea. Not taking ‘no’ for answer could propel you to set up one last meeting with another lender even when thelast couple of meetings had ended with rejections.

3. You see money as a means to freedom

Many people rile capitalism and they see people interested in making money as soulless, greedy, lovers of money. Of course, some people love money just so they could make the roll call of rich folks, such people tend to display obnoxiously entitled tendencies. Entrepreneurs on the other hand see money as a mere tool to an end.

The end varies for each entrepreneur – to some entrepreneurs, money is a means to take innovative risks, for others money is a means to make the world a better place, and others consider money a means to travel the world and acquire culture. One thing you can’t take away from natural entrepreneurs is that they see money as a means to freedom.

4. You like to be responsible for the work you do

Many entrepreneurs fire their bosses and quit their jobs because they want to feel responsible for the work they do. You may observe that your creative juices are not flowing at work because there’s a corporate way of doing things. Your employer might also have a stifling system of checks and balances that makes it hard to do meaningful work on your own.

Workers in most corporate settings are usually faceless – irrespective of the quality of the work you do, you’ll most likely just be another cog in a much larger wheel. If you find yourself at loggerheads with the culture of coming to work, do your bit, punch the clock, only to go home and return to the drudgery tomorrow, an entrepreneurial path might be more exciting for you.

This blog is for informational purposes only. Any advice given does not constitute a relationship and is by no means fact. The information and advice given on this site is only an opinion and should be confirmed with a finance or tax professional.